casual Hear it!

casual Definition

casu·al (kaz̸h′o̵̅o̅ əl)

adjective

  1. happening by chance; not planned; incidental a casual visit
  2. happening, active, etc. at irregular intervals; occasional a casual worker
  3. slight or superficial a casual acquaintance
    1. careless or cursory far too casual in his methods
    2. nonchalant; dispassionate affecting casual unconcern
    1. informal or relaxed a casual atmosphere
    2. designed for informal occasions or use casual clothes

Etymology: ME & OFr casuel < LL casualis, by chance < L casus, chance, event: see case

noun

  1. one who does something only occasionally or temporarily, esp. a casual worker
  2. shoes, clothes, etc. designed for informal occasions
  3. Mil. a person temporarily attached to a unit, awaiting a permanent assignment or transportation

casual Related Forms

cas′u·ally adverb cas′u·al·ness noun

casual Synonyms

casual

modif.

  1. Accidental

    chance, unexpected, unplanned; see accidental 1.

  2. Occasional

    erratic, random, infrequent; see irregular 1.

  3. Offhand

    accidental, purposeless, unplanned; see aimless, haphazard, random.

  4. Nonchalant

    blasé, apathetic, unconcerned; see careless 1, indifferent 1.

  5. Informal

    relaxed, unceremonious, easygoing; see informal 1, 2. See syn. study at accidental, random.

casual Usage Examples

Possessives

block: A male casuals ' block and stone-breaking yard lay at the southwest.

Preposition: about

status: Deduction of wages for those working on a commission basis Fairness at Work White Paper: family friendly policies Casual about employe status?

Modifies a noun

  • observer: To a casual observer, ALI's timing looked bang on.
  • vacancy: A casual vacancy shall be filled by decision of College Council.
  • gamers: They are followed by 15 to 20 per cent of the market who are casual gamers.
  • clothes: Notes: Every last Friday of the month council staff donate a pound to wear casual clothes to work.
  • elegance: The dress code is ' casual elegance ' , which boils down to no shorts, jeans or T-shirts in the evenings.
  • laborer: Most of these people were casual laborers who probably traveled from farm to farm in search of a few days work.

Modifying Another Word

  • seemingly: Even the most seemingly casual sketch, closely observed, reconstitutes an original, sculptural space about it.
  • fairly: Managers should put employees at ease by beginning their interviews with fairly casual, routine remarks.
  • somewhat: But in 1909 the visiting school inspector reported that " knowledge of domestic subjects is acquired in a somewhat casual and haphazard manner " .
  • almost: They are almost casual in their telling of the horrors that consumed them.
  • too: Neither team produced football of any quality in the opening stages with Lynn looking far too casual.
  • rather: Thus a recent account begins: Taking of the first photograph in Australia seems to have been a rather casual affair.

Used with adjective complement

  • dress: I dress casual as I am in a casual setting.
  • look: Neither team produced football of any quality in the opening stages with Lynn looking far too casual.
  • appear: I go to college and try to blend in, Try to appear so casual, tho my heart is pounding.
  • sound: But they make it sound so casual that you think that they're talking at an ordinary pace.
  • do: I don't really do casual anyway but I always do heels.
  • cool: The rich color and chunky style make this a real statement piece perfect for dressing up or cool casual.